Package incorporating filament content cutter



Dec. 8, 1942.

E. L. CLARKE PACKAGE INCORPORATING FlLAMENT CONTENT CUTTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1940 E. L. CLARKE Dec. 8, 1942.

PACKAGE INCORPORATING FILAMENT CONTENT CUTTER s Shets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1940 grwc/rvfm 515N1 5 I. IIII IRIIII. I

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'Dec- 1942- E. 1.. CLARKE 2,304,544

PACKAGE INCORPORATING FILAMENT CONTENT CUTTER Filed June 8, 1940.4 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 8, 1942 Search Room UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE INCORPORATING FILAMENT CONTENT CUTTER Edward L. Clarke, Washington, D. 0., assignor of three-tenths to Edward T. Fenwick, one-tenth to Edward G. Fenwick,

and one-tenth to 12 Claims.

This invention relates to packaged masses of that type which is sufficiently solid to be self shape-retaining but soft enough to be cut by the incision of a filament such as a wire, string, etc. Butter, cheese, ice cream, soap, stiff lubricant greases, etc., are among the products to which the invention is applicable.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a packaged block of a substance of the type above indicated, including wrapper enveloped filaments disposed in cutting relation to the block and so arranged as to effect division of the block into one or a plurality of sections, through the instrumentality of said filament or filaments, within the wrapper or carton, without the necessity of removing the wrapper, and without tearing or dividing the wrapper, the term wrapper as herein employed including both a flexible sheet, as well as a stifler carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrapper for the packaging of such masses as are within the purview of the invention, incorporating one or more cutting filaments in the wrapper.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package as described, in which the cutting filament is anchored at one end and the severing pull applied solely to the opposite end.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hingedly movable tab preferably formed by the bringing together of adjacent edges of a mass-enveloping wrapper, adhesively on opposite sides of the pulling end of the cutting filament, whereby, regardless of the direction in which the filament may be pulled, it will always move parallel to the plane of the surfaces of the tab which it contacts, and not in shearing contact with an edge of the wrapper material.

The invention contemplates the incorporation into the package of a single cutting filament for making a single division of the contents, a plurality of independent filaments adapted to be successively pulled for making plural divisions of the packaged mass, a plurality of filaments arranged in a group or groups for the simultaneous pulling of the filaments of a group, or a single filament encompassing the mass a plurality of times at spaced intervals, adapted upon being pulled to selectively make one or any plurality of serial divisions of the block.

Another object of the invention resides in the method of laying' and integrating a single filament with respect to the wrapper, in such a manner as to accomplish the serial severance of the block enveloped by said wrapper.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a plurality of practical embodiments thereof proceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the following specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package embodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the same, with the meeting edges of the wrapper in raised position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the wrapper blank employed in the package of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a slight modification of Figure 1, in which the free tails of the cuttin filaments are connected in groups for the simultaneous severance of a group of portions of the mass;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the invention applied to a wrapper of stiff material such as an ice cream carton;

Figure 6 is a cross-section through the package shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the invention applied to a bar of soap, the wrapper being shown reduced to a narrow encircling strip carrying the cutting filament;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the outer wrapper blank and the filament carrying strip relatively positioned for wrapping;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a step in the act of wrapping the bar of soap;

Figure 10 is a perspective view, part of the outer wrapper being broken away, showing the tab formed by the meeting ends of the filament carrying strip;

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the completely wrapped bar of soap with the free tail of the filament exposed;

Figure 12 is a cross-section through the wrapped bar shown in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention in which the pulling of a single filament makes a plurality of serial divisions;

Figure 14 is a plan view of the blank of the wrapper employed in the package shown in Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a plan view of a blank showing a modified form of the invention in which a plurality of filaments each serially performs a plurality of divisions; and

Figure 16 is a diagrammatic illustration of a method of making the wrapper shown in Figure 14.

Referring now in detail to the description of the several figures, and first adverting to the group, Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, Figure 1 illustrates the invention applied, for example, to a packag of cheese comprising the block or mass of cheese I and the enveloping wrapper 2. This wrapper is customarily a flexible sheet of waxed paper, parchment or other suitable thin sheet material. It is wrapped around the cheese block I, the meeting edges 3 and 4 being brought together into a seam extending longitudinally of the package and being adhesively united. This seam in the finished package is usually laid fiat, as indicated at 5 in Figure 1, and the ends of the wrapper are folded in, as indicated generally by the reference character 6.

The proposition is to cut or sever one or a plurality of slices from the cheese block without the necessity of removing the wrapper. This is an extremely important consideration in connection with the storing of the remainder of the cheese in a mechanical refrigerator where the maintenance of the wrapper in practically intact condition protects the cheese from the dehumidifying effect of refrigeration.

For accomplishing this purpose, the wrapper blank is, as shown in Figure 3, a fiat sheet "I of paper or other flexible wrapping material upon which are laid and adhesively carried in parallel relation a plurality of threads or other suitable filaments 8. These are spaced apart a distance equal to the desired thickness of a slice. The filaments preferably terminate at one end flush with an edge of the sheet I, as shown at 9, and at the other end they project in the form of free tails I0.

A suggested way of producing this blank is to stretch the desired number of filaments in the form of a warp, to place a waxed sheet upon the warp, to apply pressure in the form of dies, one of which is heated and this melts the wax sufficiently to slightly imbed or fix the filaments to the surface of the waxed paper. The last step would, of course, be cutting off the filaments fiush with one edge and at such a distance from the opposite edge as to provide the free tails.

Figure 2 shows the block of cheese I enveloped by the wrapper 2, the sheet I being on the outside with the filaments 8 between the sheet I and the surface of the cheese. The fiush ends 9 and the free tails ID of the filaments are brought together in the seam formed by the meeting edges 3 and 4, the sides of which seam are adhesively united throughout the entire length, it being important that the flush edges 9 be anchored in the seam.

When it is desired to cut a slice of cheese the end folds of the package are opened at one end and the first of the free tails I0 is pulled. If the pulling is done while the seam is in the flat position shown in Figure 1, no especial care is necessary in holding the seam, but if the seam is raised in the position shown in Figure 2 or in any other intermediate position, then it is preferred to grasp the seam on both sides adjacent the tail being pulled, for the sake of support. When the tail I0 is pulled, the cutting action will start at the corner H of the cheese mass, Figure 2, and will proceed progressively until the slice has been entirely severed. The pull will be solely upon one end of the thread, the adhesion between the filament and the sheet 1 giving way progressively as the cutting proceeds, the end 9 remaining anchored in the seam. One of the salient features of the invention is that in this cutting operation the incision is confined altogether within the wrapper so that the wrapper is not out. When the slice has been completely severed it will drop out or may be shaken out from the opened end of the package. The tails ID are successively pulled until the desired number of slices have been severed.

The fact that the filaments are in adhesion with the sheet substantially throughout their extent ensures that the slice will be of even thickness throughout.

If both ends of the cheese encircling filament were pulled in the act of dividing the cheese they would be spread at a broad angle at their point of emergence from the package into the seam and would tend to rupture the seam. Inasmuch as the pull is solely upon one end of the filament there is no wedging action tending to open the seam, but the filament emerges along its own linear path.

If the seam 5 were absent, and the filament were pulled perpendicularly to the plane of the paper, it would press cuttingly against one edge of the sheet I and with tearing effect. The seam forms a tab, the sides of which are parallel with the part of the filament which passes through them, and consequently, the pulling movement of the filament is in the direction of the surfaces of the marginal edges 3 and 4 of the sheet 1 and there is no tearing tendency. The seam 5, due to the flexibility of the sheet 1, is hingedly related to the package and swings in the direction in which the tail I0 is pulled, so that no particular pains need be taken to pull the tail in any precise direction, to avoid tearing the wrapper.

It is, of course, to be understood that the number of filaments provided is a mere matter of choice or desirability, and that the inventive concept is fully realized in the provision of but a single encompassing filament, it being essential only that the filament be anchored at one end and that the cutting pull be applied solely to the other end.

Figure 4 shows a slight modified form of the invention, still exemplified in a cheese package, in which the filaments are tied together in groups by means of the handles l2, so that the group associated with one handle may be simultaneously pulled. In Figure 4 groups of three tails l0 are secured to a single handle I2, this handle as shown, being simply a folded piece of paper enclosing the ends of the tails, and being pasted thereto. By pulling the handle l2, three slices of cheese may be severed simultaneously. It is, of course, conceivable that there is a limit to the number of filaments that may be thus simultaneously pulled, for the aggregate friction may rise to a magnitude at which the handle l2 may pull off or the seam of the package become disrupted.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the invention applied to a carton l3 made of relatively stiff material, such for example, as cardboard. These figures illustrate an ice cream package. The blank for this carton will have a small plurality of filaments 8 arranged in parallel relation and spaced apart at distances equal to the thickness of the desired portions into which the ice cream block i4 is to be out. These filaments will be in adherence to the front, bottom, back and preferably the top fiap of the carton as shown. They 4 carton and have the free tail portions l6 emanating preferably from the inside of the top flap. In this form of package the filaments will be entirely concealed when the package is closed. The customer, as a rule, will open the carton to the extent indicated in Figure 5, exposing the top surface of the ice cream block. The tails I of the filaments will then be pulled forward progressively, breaking the adherence of the filaments with the inside surface of the carton and cutting the ice cream into the desired sized sections. The initial adhesion of the filaments 8 with the material of the carton provides a guidance so that the sections are cut with uniform thickness throughout.

As in the first described embodiment of the invention, it is essential that the ends of the filaments remote from the free tails remain anchored to the wrapper throughout the cutting operation.

A variant of the invention is illustrated in the group of Figures '7 to 12, inclusive. Here we have a bar of soap packaged with the necessary instrumentalities so that it can be cut in half. Soap is customarily wrapped in an inner and outer wrapper. As there is usually no point in the consumer keeping the soap wrapped in the outer wrapper, it has been here shown solely in relation to the method of wrapping the soap. Figure 7 shows the bar of soap 1 8 encircled at an intermediate point by a strip IQ of any suitable material such as paper or Cellophane, which has in adherence thereto throughout its length on the inner side thereof a filament 8 having the free tail [0 extending from one end and having the opposite end terminating substantially flush with the end of the strip l9. Figure 7 shows that the opposite ends of the strip 19 are brought together beyond one edge of the bar of soap and adherently united on opposite sides of both end portions of the filament 8. The meeting end portions of the strip I9 form a tab 2| hingedly movable with respect to the package. The soap is cut by pulling upon the free tail l0 and it is immaterial in what direction the tail I0 is pulled, for the tab 2| will swing with the tail into the direction of pull so that the pulling movement of the filament will always be parallel to the plane of the surfaces of the tab 2|, and there will be no tendency of the filament to tear through the tab.

In wrapping the soap, the strip IS with the filament In is laid across the wrapper with the opposite ends of said strip projecting beyond those portions of the wrapper which will meet at the edge 22 of the bar of soap. The bar is then laid in the wrapper in such position that the edge 23 of the wrapper will coincide with the edge 22 of the bar of soap. This will leave the adjacent end of the strip l9 projecting. The wrapper is then folded about the soap, bringing the opposite end portions of the strip l9 together, forming the tab 2|, as shown in Figure 10. When the wrapping is complete, the tab is concealed, only the tail l0 projecting, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. The presence of the strip ill with the filament 8 around the soap is an invitation to the consumer to cut the soap by pulling the filament 10. If the consumer does not wish to divide the soap it is a simple matter to tear off the strip I9, discarding the same.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which, by the pulling of a single filament 23, one or any plurality of slices may be cut from the block 24. This package, as

Search Hutu shown, is similar to that illustrated in Figure 1, with the exception of the arrangement of the filament. It is particularly adapted to a package of cheese, butter or like material, where it is desirable to retain the wrapper in as intact a condition as may be possible.

Figure 14 illustrates the arrangement of the filament upon the wrapper sheet 25, the filament being laid sinuous with parallel spaced intermediate portions 26 connected by integral return bends 21. When the bights constituted by the return bends 21 at one side of the sheet are brought into contiguity with the bights constituted by the return bends 21 at the opposite edge of the sheet, the bights at one edge will occupy the spaces between the bights at the other edge, giving the scalloped arrangement of bights indicated at 28 in the seam 29, Figure 13. It will be understood that the portions of the wrapper which meet in the seam 29 are adhesively united. The scalloped arrangement of the bights in the seam will cause the seam to be continuously opened progressively as the pulling proceeds up to the point at which the desired number of slices is cut, the seam remaining intact through the remainder of the package.

A practical method of laying the filament 23 upon the wrapper sheet 25 and afilxing it thereto is partially illustrated in Figure 16, which shows a plurality of rollers 30 equal in number to the number of bights to be produced in the filament, extending upwardly through a slotted plate 3| and being depressible to a position flush with the surface of said plate. The rollers have a normal position of relative proximity in which they are represented by full lines, and they may be spread laterally in opposite directions to the positions shown in broken lines. A filament 23' fed from a cop or spool 32 extends between the rollers, as shown. The rollers move in the direction of the arrows, so as to cross the path of the filament and to carry it with them to their spread positions. It is contemplated that the rollers should spread progressively, beginning with the rollers most remote from the cop, so as to minimize tension upon the filament. When the filament is held in its sinuous position determined by the spread positions of the rollers a waxed sheet is placed upon it and a heated die comes down, pressing the sheet against the filament and at the same time depressing the rollers to the plane of the plate 3|. The filament is thus made to adhere to the sheet in the form shown in the blank in Figure 14.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that if the perimeter of the block 24, Figure 13, is large, and the block be divided into a large plurality of slices, the amount of filament pulled out may be of inconvenient length. To avoid this, a further modification of the invention is proposed, which is illustrated in the wrapper blank shown in Figure 15. Here there are several independent filaments 33, 34 and 35, each of which is arranged sinuously upon the sheet 25, so as to produce serially, a relatively small plurality of slices when the filament is pulled to its full length.

It will be understood to those skilled in the art that the specification illustrates only a few of the modifications and adaptations of the inventive concept, and that the specific details of con-' struction and the arrangement of parts as illustrated and described, is by way of example, and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a sheet member surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite edge portions associated by a fold, and a cutting filament between said sheet member and block, said filament surrounding the block and having one end anchored to said sheet member and the other end extending from said sheet member between said opposite edge portions in a tail, said filament when said tail is pulled dividing said block within said sheet member.

2. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a sheet member surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite edge portions associated by a fold, and a detachable cutting filament adhesively carried by the inner side of said sheet member, said filament surrounding said block and having one end anchored to said sheet member and the other end extending from said sheet member between said opposite edge portions in a tail, said filament when said tail is pulled dividing said block within said sheet member.

3. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a sheet member surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto, said member having extending coincident portions adhesively united and forming a tab, and a detachable cutting element adhesively carried by the inner side of said sheet member and surrounding said block, said cutting element having its ends anchored in said tab, one of said ends projecting from said tab and forming a pulling tail, said filament when said tail is pulled dividing said block within said sheet member.

4. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a sheet member surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto, said member having extending coincident portions adhesively united and forming a tab, said tab being hingedly related to said block, and a detachable cutting element adhesively carried by the inner side of said sheet member and surrounding said block, said cutting element having its ends anchored in said tab, one of said ends projecting from said tab and forming a pulling tail, said filament when said tail is pulled dividing said block within said sheet member.

5. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a wrapper surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite edge portions brought together into coincidence to form a seam, and a plurality of cutting elements encompassing said block in spaced parallel relation, each of said cutting elements having its opposite end portions brought substantially together in said seam, one of said ends of each element extending beyond said seam and forming a pulling tail and the other end of each filament being anchored.

6. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a wrapper surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite end portions brought together into coincidence and folded to form a seam, a plurality of cutting filaments encompassing said block in spaced parallel relation, each having its opposite end portions brought substantially together in said seam,

the sides of said seam being adhesively united and embedding the end portions of said filaments between them, one end of each filament extending beyond said seam and forming a pulling tall, the other end of each filament being anchored.

7. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a wrapper surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite edge portions brought together into coincidence and folded to form a seam, a plurality of detachable cutting filaments adhesively carried by the inner side of said wrapper and encompassing said block in spaced parallel relation, each of said filaments having its opposite end portions brought substantially together in said scam, the sides of said seam being adhesively united and embedding the end portions of said filaments between them, one end of each filament extending beyond said seam and forming a pulling tail, and the other end of each filament being anchored.

8. Wrapper encompassing cutting instrumentalities for slicing a block of shape-sustaining consistency enveloped by said wrapper, said wrapper comprising a block enveloping sheet having outwardly folded opposite seam forming edge portions, and a plurality of detachable cutting filaments adhesively carried by one side of said sheet in spaced parallel relation transversely with respect to said seam forming edge portions, one end of each filament terminating in one seam forming edge portion, and the opposite end of each filament extending beyond the opposite seam forming edge portion and constituting a pulling tail.

9. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a wrapper surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite edge portions brought together into coincidence and forming a seam, a detachable cutting filament adhesively carried by the inner side of said wrapper, said filament being arranged in a serpentine pattern having spaced parallel portions extending from one side to the other of said seam and connected by bights in said seam, one end of said filament extending beyond said seam and forming a pulling tail.

10. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a wrapper surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite edge portions brought together into coincidence and forming a seam, and a detachable cutting filament adhesively carried by the inner side of said wrapper, said filament being arranged in a serpentine pattern having spaced parallel portions extending from one side to the other of said seam and connected by bights in said seam, the sides of said seam being adhesively united and embedding said bights, one end of said filament extending beyond said seam and forming a pulling tall.

11. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-sustaining consistency, a wrapper surrounding said block in substantial conformation thereto and having opposite end portions brought together into coincidence and forming a seam, a detachable cutting filament adhesively carried by the inner side of said wrapper and arranged in a serpentine pattern having spaced parallel portions extending from one side to the other of said seam and connected by bights in said seam, the bights of one side of said pattern interfitting in the seam with the bights of the other side of said pattern, the sides of said Search Room seam being adhesively united and embedding said bights, one end of said filament extending beyond said seam and forming a pulling tail.

12. Package comprising a plastic block of shape-containing consistency, a sheet member surrounding said block in'conformation thereto, and a cutting filament between said sheet member and block and surrounding the block, said filament having one end anchored to the sheet member, a portion of said sheet member being so folded as to be readily unfolded to expose the unanchored end of the cutting filament and permit the drawing of the filament by said free end through the block only while the latter is still in said enfolding sheet.

EDWARD L. CLARKE. 

